Meta Rolls Out Stricter “Teen Accounts” On Facebook And Instagram

Meta is stepping up its game to protect teens on social media — and this time, it’s going big across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

Starting this week, teens under 16 won’t be able to go live or send images that look like they contain nudity without their parents’ OK. It’s all part of a broader move to clean up the teen experience online, after years of public pressure.

What Are “Teen Accounts”?

If you’re under 18, you’ll now automatically get a Teen Account — a special profile type that comes with stricter privacy and safety controls.

Here’s what it limits:

• Seeing sensitive content
• Sending DMs to people who aren’t approved
• Having a public account that’s easily searchable

You’re still able to tweak a few things if you’re 16 or 17, but younger teens need their parents’ permission to change settings.

Meta says the response so far has been solid — 97% of teens aged 13–15 have stuck with the safer settings, and 54 million people are now using Teen Accounts.

Keeping Harmful Content Out

Meta made it clear: these protections mean younger users won’t see certain types of hate speech, especially stuff targeting transgender or non-binary people. Plus, nothing’s changing when it comes to content around self-harm, bullying, or child exploitation — all of it stays strictly banned for minors.

Meta has been in the hot seat for a while — with lawsuits, congressional hearings, and plenty of angry parents. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently had to apologize in front of Congress to families whose kids were exploited online.

These changes are Meta’s way of showing it’s listening — and trying to turn things around.

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